Five Ways to have a Beneficial Ramadan

The month of Ramadan is steadily approaching. We all want to reap the rewards from this special month. Many of us may be working, studying, or raising a family. This can be a challenging yet rewarding month as we juggle our responsibilities whilst fasting for 30 days.

Here are five ways to ensure that you have a beneficial Ramadan:

1. Set Goals

Before Ramadan arrives, make a list of goals that you want to achieve whilst fasting. You may want to read 4 or 5 pages of the Qur’an every day during Ramadan, learn a few new chapters that you don’t know already, or even enhance your knowledge by learning and memorising some hadiths. You can create a list of goals and tick them off once you have achieved them. When you look back on the goals that have been completed during Ramadan, you will get a sense of satisfaction.

2. Plan Ahead and Stock Up

Pre-planning before Ramadan and stocking up on essentials such as dates, water, and any other foods and drinks that you may require can help you save time when you are fasting. In addition, planning of meals can help you stay more organised and enable you to engage more in beneficial activities such as reading the Qur’an, performing Salah, and earning rewards from Allah (st).

3. Increase Good Deeds

We should aim to perform good deeds throughout our lives. Ramadan gives us the opportunity to increase our good actions as Shaytan is locked away. The Messenger of Allah (sa) said: “The reward of deeds depends upon the intention, and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended.” (Bukhari) You can earn numerous rewards through acts of worship like offering salah, asking for forgiveness, making supplications, giving charity, giving dawah (inviting others to Islam), and reciting the Qur’an.

One of the blessings we receive from Allah (swt) during Ramadan is the opportunity to perform Taraweeh prayers. Make Ramadan truly beneficial for your scale of deeds by praying Taraweeh. “The Messenger of Allah (sa) used to strive more in worship during Ramadan than he strove at any other time of the year; he would devote himself more (to the worship of Allah) in the last ten nights of Ramadan than he strove in the earlier part of the month.” (Muslim)

5. Give Iftar (The Meal Eaten at Sunset to Break the Fast)

Giving Iftar, if you have the means to do so, to family, friends, and especially to the homeless or poor people can earn Allah’s pleasure. The Messenger of Allah (sa) said: “Whoever provides food to a fasting person to break his fast with has the same reward as his (the fasting person’s), without anything being diminished from the reward of the fasting person.” (at-Tirmidhi; authentic)

Tasnim Nazeer is an award winning Freelance Journalist/Writer and Author who has written for a variety of print and online publications including CNN International, The Muslim News, Your Middle East, Islam Channel and many more. She was awarded The Muslim News Award for Excellence in Media 2013 and is an UN Universal Peace Federation Ambassador for Peace. For more information visit her website at www.tasnimnazeer.com or follow her on Twitter: @tasnimnazeer1

International Islamic Publishing House is a small company, but with a well-established reputation in the Muslim world. It was founded in the 1980s by Muhammad ibn Abdul Muhsin Al-Tuwaijri, its CEO and Managing Director.